Promised by Caragh M. O'brien Page A

when the Matrarc had confined her for a period of reflection in the lodge, only Emily’s status as a guest would never end. “Did she go?”
    â€œBy day six, Wharfton was completely out of water,” Myrna said. “They’d drunk every last drop of cider and distilled wine just for the liquid. Pets were dying, and people were pressuring Emily. She said she’d never signed on for a rebellion. She just wanted to see her son again, so she went.”
    â€œBut is she all right?” Gaia asked.
    Myrna frowned thoughtfully. “She appears to be. She’s risen to a position of some importance. She’s been there over a year now, and her second child, a boy—that’s the only home he’s ever known.”
    Gaia turned to Leon, whose gaze was directed toward the Enclave, as if he could penetrate the mind of his father just by observing the city where he dwelled.
    â€œSo there’s a full DNA registry,” Leon said.
    Myrna nodded. “It took us a month, but we swabbed every single person. That’s when I moved outside the wall, and I found, to my great surprise, that despite the rampant ignorance of your old neighbors, life in Wharfton suits me just fine.”
    â€œHe’ll want us to register our DNA, too,” Chardo Will guessed.
    â€œYes,” Myrna said, turning to him. “That’s a given. And you are?”
    Gaia made quick introductions.
    Unexpectedly, Dinah laughed. “I wonder what the Protectorat will think of our expools.”
    Myrna glanced at Gaia.
    â€œMany of our men are sterile,” Gaia explained. “We suspect they’re XX-males. I suppose now we’ll find out for certain from their DNA.”
    Myrna looked surprised. She took another look at the line of people in the caravan. “How about the women? Are they fertile?”
    Dinah nodded, still smiling. “I’d say. Our mothers have, on average, eight children each. Many have over ten, and the children are almost all boys. We hope that will change now that we’re here, away from the water that poisoned us in Sylum.”
    â€œThere does seem to be quite a preponderance of men,” Myrna said.
    â€œWe have nine men for every one woman,” Gaia said. “And there were no girls born in the past year.”
    Myrna was clearly interested. “Very odd. Is there any hemophilia in your population?” Myrna asked.
    â€œNone,” Leon said.
    Myrna crossed her arms, plainly considering. “Interesting,” she said finally, and turned to look speculatively at Leon. “Your father will be very interested.”
    â€œWe’re counting on that,” he said.
    Gaia was still worried about her old friend. “Does Emily ever come outside the wall? What happened to advancing the babies? I can hardly believe there are no more quotas.”
    Myrna’s gaze narrowed slightly, and she adjusted her hat brim over her eyes. “Emily came out briefly for a recruitment. She works for Leon’s father now. For the Vessel Institute.”
    â€œWhat’s that?” Gaia asked.
    â€œIt’s in its pilot phase,” Myrna said. “Essentially, the Vessel Institute is a baby factory.”

 
    CHAPTER 6
    homecoming
    â€œ T HE P ROTECTORAT WOULD NEVER describe it so crudely,” Myrna added. “But that’s what it is.”
    â€œYou can’t mean what I’m thinking,” Will said. “Women would never allow themselves to be used that way.”
    â€œMaybe not where you come from,” Myrna said.
    â€œHow does your baby factory actually work?” Dinah asked.
    â€œThe Vessel Institute hires women to bear children for childless couples in the Enclave,” Myrna said.
    â€œHow many?” Gaia asked. “What does it pay?”
    â€œThere are twelve women in the pilot program, and I’m not aware of the particulars of the stipend,” Myrna said.
    â€œIs Emily one of these women?” Leon